• Felicitates cycling event winners, calls for drug-free J&K
• Says youth must be given opportunities to channelise their energy
• Credits J&K Police for combining security with community outreach
Srinagar | Oct, 29:Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday called for a collective fight against drug abuse in Jammu and Kashmir, urging all sections of society to engage youth in sports and constructive activities while felicitating winners of the ‘Pedal Through Paradise’ cycling event.
Addressing the gathering, Sinha said providing young people with opportunities to realise their potential was a collective responsibility, stressing that their energy needed positive direction and their talent greater encouragement.
“It is the collective responsibility of all of us to provide the youth with platforms where their energy receives a positive direction, their talent receives encouragement, and their dreams receive the opportunity to be realised,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Emphasising the need for a society-wide response to substance abuse, Sinha called for coordinated efforts to make Jammu and Kashmir drug-free. He also stressed that people affected by drug abuse must be supported and rehabilitated with empathy and care.
“We must take three resolves today — we will always move forward for peace, we will move forward for progress and we will move forward to build a healthy, prosperous, secure and bright Jammu Kashmir,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor credited the Jammu and Kashmir Police with extending their role beyond security and law enforcement through community outreach programmes. He said initiatives such as ‘Pedal Through Paradise’ helped strengthen public engagement while promoting discipline, sporting excellence and social responsibility.
Sinha said the event reflected the aspirations of young people and the changing narrative of Jammu and Kashmir, which, he said, should not be confined to the challenges of the past but also recognise present efforts and future possibilities.
“The story of Jammu Kashmir is no longer confined to the challenges of the past but it is also the story of the efforts of the present and the possibilities of the future,” he said.
He said youth were contributing across sports, education, innovation and entrepreneurship, adding that platforms such as ‘Pedal Through Paradise’ and ‘Jashn-e-Dal’ could promote perseverance, resilience and confidence.
The Lieutenant Governor urged young people to participate actively in sports and community initiatives, saying their contribution was important for regional development and nation-building.
The felicitation ceremony was attended by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Special DG Coordination S.J.M. Gillani, Commandant General Home Guards Abdul Ghani Mir, ADGP Armed Nitish Kumar, ADG BSF Ashok Yadav, Director Fire and Emergency Services Alok Kumar, senior police and civil administration officers, members of cycling associations and other participants.
